Automatic railway-switch



(N Model.) 5 sham-sheet 1.

M. A. WEATHERS. AUSTOMATIG RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented July 11,1893.

(No Model'.) 5 sheets-sheet 2.

M. A. WEATHBRS. AUTOMATIC. RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 501,263. PapemdJulylLlaQs.

(No Model.)` 5 Sheets-Sheet 3Y M. WHAT-BEES., AUTOMATIC 'RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 501,263; Patent'edJuly 11, 1893.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

. M. A. WBATHERS., AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 501,263. l-Pante`lled July 1'1, 1893.

Imp-

5 sheets-sheet 5.

(No Model.) A

M. A. WEATHERS. r

AUTOMATIC RAILWAY SWITCH.

No. 501,263. Patented July 1.1, 1893.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MURDOOK A. IVEATHERS, OF MANCHESTER, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

AUTO MATI C RAILWAY- SWITC H SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 501,263,dated July 11, 1893.

Application ild November 2, 1892. Serial No. 450,730. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MURDOOK A. WEATH- ERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Manchester,in the county of Hillsborough and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Au-` tomatic Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to switch mechanisms, and refers particularly to that class of switches used in connection with street railways for automatically directing a particular car on its corresponding branch-track.

It frequently occurs in large cities that a number of different lines of cars having re mote termini, occupy in common for a prescribed distance of the route a single track from which the several individual lines successively diverge. Accordingly, it is the object of my invention to avoid the necessity of a number of attendant switchmen located at the various points of radiation, and to avoid the inconvenience and delay due to the necessity practiced by the employs, such as conductors, ctc., of leaving the cars or using hand appliances on the cars to effect the movement of the switches.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a pressure-roll carried by the oar-truck and arranged to engage and depress one of a series of switch-actuating-levers connected by intermediate mechanism to the switch tongue. By having a series of levers, each belonging to a particular line, and providing each car with a roll adapted by its position to depress its particular co-operating lever, the switchtongues are set successively in accordance with the predetermined route of the car. It will be understood that a set of these combination levers is arranged at each point of divergence from the main track, the object of which is to enable all the switches which the car must pass over before reaching its individual line to be set by the pressure-roll on that car, which roll requires only one previous setting or arrangement. In this connection it will be apparent that the number of levers is equal to the number of the lines occupying that portion of the main track.

A further object of this invention is to provide means whereby the pressure-roll is normally elevated out of the way of obstructions in the line of way, andis lowered properly at the point where required.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, and the novel features will be specifically designated in the appended claims. v

For the attainment of the above objects, my invention consists in certain details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts, all of which will be more fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying draWings:-Figure l is a side elevation partly in section of a cartruck and switch-pit, the car-truck being provided with the switching mechanism and located over an excavated pit containing a series of combination levers, all in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the mechanism carried by the car-truck. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse sectional View of the truck and switch-pit. Fig. 41's a plan view of the switch-plates, partly broken away to show the combination levers. Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a series of the combination levers and connections. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the disk or turn table, and switch-tongue and connections. the cam-rail. Fig. 8 is a similar View of one of the switch-plates. Fig.` 9 is a similar view of the switch-tongue reversed. Fig. l0 is a,

similar view of the connecting-rod for the switch-tongue; and Fig. 1l is a similar View of the guide fork.

Like numbers of reference indicate like or corresponding parts in all of the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, l represents a car-truck carrying a supporting frame-work consisting of the longitudinal bars, 2; and 4 is a transverse rock-shaft mounted in ordinary bearings, 5, attached rigidly to the longitudinal bars of the supportin g framework. Fixed to the latter is a vertical guideplate, 6, working in a vertical groove, 7, of which plate, is the sliding stem, 8, carrying the pressure roll 9. The upper end of this stem is connected pivotally to the free terminal of an arm, 10, carried by the rock-shaft, 4; said rock-shaft also carries the arms 117 Fig. 7 is a detail yiewof IOO which extend in an opposite direction to the arm, 10, and are pivotally attached at their free ends, respectively, to the adjacent upper ends of the swinging shanks, 12, which, in turn, carry the guide-rolls 13.

Underneath the main track is excavated a suitable vault or pit, 14, located beneath the plane of the surface-track and covered by a longitudinally grooved surface-plate, 15, having grooves 16 in which the switch-plates 17 rest. Each of said switch-plates is pivotally fastened at one end to the "surface-plate by means of an integral-hook, 18, which is adapted to engage a transverse pivot-bar 19.

Located at opposite sides of the track and in juxtaposition to the rails are the cam-rails 20 which severally lie in the paths of the guide-rolls 13, whereby, when the latter engage the inclined surfaces of the cam-rails, the Shanks upon which they are mounted will be elevated thereby turning the rock-shaft and depressing the pressureroll in engagement with its respective switch-plate.

A forked or bifurcated guide 21 is attached to each one of the longitudinal side-bars of the supporting-frame with its fork, 22, projecting forward to engage the adjacent piv oted shank, 12 so that when the car is moving forward in the direction indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the shanks will be held in their vertical and operative positions, and when the car is traveling in the opposite direction, said shanks will swing forward as indicated in dotted lines in said figure without elevation by the contact of the guide-rolls with the cam-rails.

The free ends of the switch-plates are connected, respectively,by meansof vertical pins, 23 to the adjacent similar ends of the longitudin al combination-levers, 24; which are f ulcrumed upon transverse pivot-rods, 25, as clearly shown in Fig. 5. Movable collars 25', one on each side of each lever 24, and provided with a set-screw 24 serve to prevent the levers from beinglaterally displaced. A rock shaft 2G which is disposed horizontally in the pit is provided with a series of oppositely eX- tending arms, 27, respectively pivoted to the levers, 24. This rock-shaft carries a crosshead, 28 the upper end of which is attached by a rod 29 to the horizontal disk or turntable 30; an adjustable coupling, 31 being set at an intermediate point on said rod to permit the variation of the length of the same. This coupling consists of twin serrated plates, 32, carried respectively by the sections of t-he connecting rod, and their serrated or roughened surfaces being held in contact by the adjusting bolt, 33. The disk or turn-table is provided with two radial arms 34 and 35 arranged at right angles to each other. To the free end of the former is connected the terminal of the rod, 29, and to the end of the latter is attached the switch-tongue, 36 by means of the intermediate connecting-rod, 37, which is provided with studs, 38, to engage notches 39 in the under-surface of the switchtongue. The disk is mounted upon a spindle, 40, carried by the tripod, 41, in a supplemental pit, 42, and is held from being loosely rotated and from rebounding by the adjustable strap 43. The connecting-rod 29 operates in a guide tube, 44, by which the pits 14 and 42 are connected. As before stated the switchplates are connected by the pins 23. These pins operate in guides, 45, which form part of the frame 4G arranged in the vault or pit 14 for the support of the rock-shaft, combination-levers, and their connections.

In operation, when a car carrying this improved switch mechanism approaches the switch, its guide-rolls engage the cam-rails thereby depressing the pressure-roll which, by engaging its respective switch plate and by depressing the latter through the agency of the connecting pin, combination-lever, and connected arm, rotates the rock-shaft in one or the other direction according to the rela tive positions of the lever arm and rock-shaft, and by swinging the cross-head, moves the connecting-rod, turns the disk or turn-table, and swings the switch-tongue into the necessary position. The shaft, 4, to which the arm 10 carrying the pressure roll is connected, extends entirely across the track, and said arm is provided with a set-screw whereby it may be adjusted to make the pressure roll engage either of the several switch-plates. The bars, 3, to which is bolted the guide-plate, 6, are provided with a series of spaced bolt-holes so that the plate may be adj usted to agree with the position of the pressure roll. Therefore, by arranging the pressure rolls on all of the cars of a particular line in the right position to enga ge a certain co-operating switch-plate, it is clear that all of said cars will adj ust all of the several switches so as to maintain their particular route, and by arranging the pressure-rolls of the cars of different lines so as to depress different switch-plates, said cars will be guided successively to their respective tracks.

All parts of the different mechanisms are durable and readily interchangeable. Furthermore the parts are properly housed, and the mechanism in the pit protectedfrom exterior niiuences of weather, moisture, and other conditions.

Having thus fully described my invention, .I

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a street-railway switch, the combination with switch-plates and a switch-tongue, of connections between the plates and tongue,a cam-rail, a guide-roll, a pressure-roll arranged to travel in a plane above the switch-plates, and connections between the guide and pressure rolls, substantially as set forth.

2. In a street-railway switch, the combination with switch-plates, a switch-tongue, and connections between said plates and tongue, of ashaft carrying oppositely extending arms, a pressure-roll carried by one of the arms above the plane of the switch-plates, a guide- IOO roll carried by an opposite arm, and a camrail in the path of the guide roll, substantially f.

as set forth.

3. In a street-railway switch, the combination with switch-plates, a switch-tongue, and connections between the plates and tongue, of a transverse shaft carriedby a car-truck, an arm 10 carried by and adjustable upon said shaft a pressure-roll depending from said arm to engage one of the switch-plates, and means to rock said shaft when necessary to depress a switch-plate, substantiallyas set forth.

4. In a street railway switch, the combina-` tion with switch-plates, a switch-tongue, and connections between the plates and tongue, of a rock-shaft having oppositely extending arms, a'pressure-roll carried by one of said arms, a guide-roll provided with a shank pivotally connected to an opposite arm, a camrail, and a forked-guide to engage the shank of the guide roll, substantially as set forth.

5. In a street-railway switch, the combination with switch-plates, a switch-tongue, and connections between said plates and tongue, of a supporting framework fixed to the car-truck, a rockshaft, a laterally adjustable guide-plate, opposite arms upon the shaft, a pressure roll provided with a stem which moves in a guide-way in said plate and is connected to an opposite arm, a guide roll and a cam-rail, substantially as set forth.

6. In a street railway switch, the combination, with switch plates; a switch tongue; and connectionsbetween said plates and tongue; of a'guide-plate provided with a vertical guideway; a rock shaft; an arm carried by said shaft; a vertical stem connected to the free end of said arm, mounted in the guide-way and adapted to slide therein; a pressure-roll carried by said stem; and means for operating the rock-shaft; substantially as set forth.

7. In a street-railway switch, the combination with pressure rolls, of switch-plates, a rock-shaft, oppositely disposed arms upon said shaft, pivoted levers each connected to aswitch plate and to an arm of the'rock-shaft, a switchtongue, and connections between the rockshaft and switch-tongue, substantially as set forth.

8. In astreet-railway switch,'the combination with pressure-rolls, of switch-plates, a rock-shaft, oppositely disposed arms on said shaft, co mbination-levers connected to switchplates and arms, a crosshead, a revoluble disk or turntable, a switch-ton gue connected to the disk ortnrntable, and connections between the cross-head and disk or turntable, substantial] y as set forth.

9. In a street railway switch, the ycombination with pressure-rolls, of switch plates, combination levers, arranged with their inner ends under the free ends of the switch plates, vertical pins 23 connecting the plates to the levers, a rock-shaft having arms connected to the levers, at intermediate points a switchtongue, and connections between the latter and the rock-shaft, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

MURDOCK A. WEATHERS.

Witnesses:

FRANK. P. KIMBALL, WILLIAM R. BLAoKs'roNE. 

